Day parking passes available for Cedar Street commuter parking

The City of Nelson is offering a new payment option for the all-day commuter parking meters located on the 300 block of Cedar Street, between Vernon and Front Streets. There are 21 commuter spaces available.

Day passes are now available for purchase at City Hall for $5 per pass and can be pre-purchased in bulk. The passes provide an alternative to having $5 in coins available to use at the parking meter.

How does the pass work?

The driver writes the licence plate and current date on the pass once parked at one of the commuter parking stalls and then places it on the dashboard. The ability to fill in the date allows the driver to use the pass spontaneously. Passes are valid until the end of 2018. Having a small stack of pre-purchased passes is more convenient for commuters than having $5 in coin.

Why have pay-by-the-day commuter parking?

For commuters, the key benefit of pay-by-the-day commuter parking is that it provides an alternative to conventional monthly permits and provides flexibility in finding single-day parking. In the city’s 2016 survey of downtown employees, it was found that many employees commute only once or twice a week by personal vehicle. By offering pay-by-the-day parking, the city aims to encourage multi-modal commuting such as walking, biking, and transit on the days that it is practical with the option for single-day parking when needed.

All-day commuter parking meters were approved by city council in January at a flat rate of $5 per day, which is the same daily parking rate as the downtown parkade. Council hopes to encourage drivers who need short-term parking (one to two hours) to park downtown and free up the commuter stalls on Cedar Street for those needing day-long parking.